This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
The final weekend of March kicks off with six NHL games Friday. The playoffs loom large. Here are my recommendations for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Philipp Grubauer, COL vs. ARI ($8,400): This is a matchup with real playoff implications, and the Avalanche should turn to the red-hot Grubauer for the occasion. The German has a 1.29 GAA and .960 save percentage in his last 11 outings. Now he's facing a Coyotes team that has only managed 2.55 goals per game on average, which is bottom five in the NHL.
CENTER
Ryan O'Reilly, STL at NYR ($6,500): O'Reilly has cruised to a career high in his first year with St. Louis with 71 points. That includes 20 points on the power play. His power-play success is encouraging, as the Rangers have the 28th-ranked penalty kill.
Nico Hischier, NJD at DET ($5,000): Hischier has looked good in two games since returning from injury, notching an assist and six shots on goal while seeing a ton of power-play time. The Wings may be at home, but they are also on the second night of a back-to-back. On top of that, they have a 3.44 GAA since the All-Star break.
WING
Matthew Tkachuk, CGY vs. ANA ($6,700): Tkachuk is scoring like his dad Keith this season. The 21-year-old has notched 34 goals and 76 points in 77 games, including eight goals in his last nine contests. As for the Ducks, they have a 3.21 GAA on the road, and they've given up 33.4 shots on net per contest in those outings as well.
David Perron, STL at NYR ($5,900): Perron has picked up where he left off after returning from a lengthy injury absence. In six games he's tallied six points. The Rangers have struggled defensively all season, but they've been particularly poor after the All-Star break. They have a 3.31 GAA in that time.
Taro Hirose, DET vs. NJD ($3,000): The Wings have been eager to see what they have in the Hobey Baker finalist since signing him recently. He's shown his potential as well, as he has a point in all five games he's played in. Although the Red Wings are playing their second game in as many nights, this is still a favorable matchup. The Devils have a 3.92 road GAA.
DEFENSE
Mark Giordano, CGY vs. ANA ($7,000): It'd be nice if the Flames had another, cheaper defenseman really making an impact, but at least Giordano still tends to provide bang for your buck. After all, he has 72 points, including 21 on the power play, and has put 214 shots on goal. In addition to allowing quite a few shots per game, the Ducks have the 25th-ranked penalty kill to boot.
Will Butcher, NJD at DET ($4,000): Butcher has started 54.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Devils. He's also averaged 2:51 per game with the extra man, notching 14 points on the power play. Meanwhile, the Red Wings have the 27th-ranked penalty kill, in addition to being on the second leg of a back-to-back.
